Kansas basketball bracketology: Jayhawks projections for March Madness, NCAA tournament
LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball won’t be carrying a Big 12 Conference trophy into the NCAA tournament this year, but soon it’ll learn what path it’ll need to take to earn one during March Madness.
The Jayhawks (21-12) wrapped up their Big 12 tournament stay with a loss in the quarterfinals against Arizona, which would go on to lose in the final against Houston. Their regular season sported a quality non-conference slate, before inconsistent efforts during the league slate saw them drop out of contention for a Big 12 regular season crown. Considering they entered the year as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, there’s a lot for them to prove in the days ahead as they attempt to realize that potential.
So, as Selection Sunday opens and the release of the NCAA tournament bracket nears, what are some of the latest projections saying about where Kansas will end up? Are the Jayhawks going to have one of the tougher, or easier, roads to a Sweet 16? Is it possible coach Bill Self and company would have to beat one of the No. 1 seeds in the round of 32 to advance that far?
Here are a few projections:
ESPN — No. 7 seed
This projection from Saturday night would place Kansas, a No. 7 seed, against No. 10-seed Utah State in the Jayhawks’ first game of the tournament. Win, and Kansas would go up against either No. 2-seed Alabama or No. 15-seed Bryant. Should it be a game against Alabama, it would be a reunion of sorts for Jayhawks guard Rylan Griffen, who transferred from Alabama to join Kansas during the most recent offseason.
USA TODAY — No. 7 seed
This projection from Friday morning predicts a round of 64 game against a former Big 12 program, No. 10-seed Oklahoma, which is now in the Southeastern Conference. Neither Oklahoma, nor potential round of 32 opponent No. 2-seed Tennessee, would be unfamiliar to the No. 7-seed Jayhawks. Of course, the potential remains that if KU beats Oklahoma it could face No. 15-seed Robert Morris in the next round, too.
CBS Sports — No. 6 seed
This projection from Saturday morning sees Kansas a bit better, as a No. 6 seed, and therefore would see the Jayhawks go up against a No. 11 seed in VCU. That puts KU in contention to face either No. 3-seed Maryland or No. 14-seed UNCW in the round of 32, should Self’s squad advance past the round of 64. Of the projections in this list, this might be the most favorable path to another Sweet 16 appearance for Kansas.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball bracketology: Projections for March Madness in 2025
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